Watching Stars
by EaglesAndBagels
Summary: When Zoey allows Ellis to lighten the load she'd been carrying, it shows her a world that can be brought to life in a different sense than zombies.


"Ellis, we don't really have time for this."

"Aw, naw. I, uh, I-I just wanna show ya sometin', darlin'."

Zoey let out a sigh, but let herself continue to be dragged off by Ellis. "Where exactly are we going?" "Dere's this nice lil' spot over yonder dat I wanted ya to take a peak at! Id'll only be a few."

They came to a small clearing only a bit away from the safe house they had found, in the middle stood a truck. It was a fairly good one due to the conditions of the world. It was a yellow pick-up truck that was slightly dirty. It looked like someone had taken the time to get it through the mud to that spot. Zoey raised an eyebrow. "Is this what you wanted to show me so bad? I mean, yes, it's a very nice truck," She smiled a bit at how, in fact, it was indeed nice, "But, we should really be inside with the others."

Ellis released her wrist and spun around to look at her. "W-Well, I was just, uh, wonderin' if ya'd mind spendin' a lil' time with me. Ya know, jus' a lil' time to ourselves. I mean, if ya wanna go back dats fine, but, well, jus'ta… look up." Zoey pursed her lips and looked in between Ellis and the safe house, pondering her choices. She let out a sigh and obliged to his offer, looking up. During this whole infected mess she never really had the time to just look up at the stars. Not like she used to with her father. She backed up in awe as she slowly began to spin around, analyzing the shimmering satellites from above. "There's Orion, and the Dippers, and-" "See dat one right dere?" Ellis stood beside her, leaning close and pointing so she could follow the directions. "Dat one is Pegasus," He turned to her and smiled, "I really do like horses, 'specially dem flyin' types." Zoey shook her head and chuckled at him.

Ellis quickly turned around and climbed into the back part of the truck. "C'mon, Zoooo-EY! Watch the stars with me." Zoey hesitated a bit, but she thought, hey, what the heck? Why not? So, she climbed into the back as well, immediately realizing the soft blanket spread across the back and a couple beers off to the side. Her eyes rolled to him and she gave him a playful smile. "Ellis, you wouldn't be trying to put us on a date, would you?" Immediately, Ellis's face got some extra color to it. Thankfully for him, the only light outside was the moon and stars.

"N-N-Now why would ya be sayin' dat? Plus, dere ain't no time for datin' in dis world we got now. Jus' relax with me." Zoey couldn't help but to shake her head again at him, a small laugh behind her smiling teeth. He really was childish. But… maybe that's what she needed right now. To let go of some things. Get some weight off her shoulders.

"… Want to pop me open a cold one?"

Ellis's grin slowly began to fill half of his face.

"Right away, ma'am!"

It was suprising that no one had come outside looking for them yet. They were pressed into a corner in the back of the truck, Zoey sitting on Ellis's lap, a beer in each of their hands, and they were laughing as they looked up at the spectacles above them.

"I, I- HA! I gotta tell ya dis story 'bout me an' my buddy, Keith! You- You see, dere were dese peach patches just outside 'a town, an' beside dose was a cow patch! So, uh, one night me an' Keith decided ta switch em'!" "Switch them?" "Yeah! Yeah! It was a hoo-oot!" Zoey turned around and patted his chest, a grin plastered to her face in a drunken stupor. "How'dya do it?" Ellis looked up to think, trying to scratch his forehead but knocked his hat off and onto the ground in the process. "Whoops, dun dropped my hat - Either way! So's we took this one here machine, dun really remember what is was, it dun looked pretty important, doh! So's we took it an'... An' we," Ellis's eyes had been focused on Zoey's face as he was telling his story, but he didn't realize the way the moon had been hitting her. Her eyes were shining brightly, green diamonds to him. Then there was how her hair framed her face, even if it was only the little strands she allowed out of her ponytail. He didn't dare look any lower, too captivated by what he had so far.

His hand, free of a bottle of beer, ran through his hair and he breathed out a small curse. "Aw, shit. You dun did it again..."

Zoey raised an eyebrow and set down her beer to the side, looking back at him. "Ellis? Is something wrong?"

His eyebrows popped up and he clutched her shoulders. "Oh! Naw, naw, darlin'. Just, erm..." The else that held her close started to drift off to the side, towards the ground where his hat was lying. Trying to fish an answer in his brain, he slowly began stroking up and down her arms. He shook his head. "Y-Yeah, yeah. Nuffin'. It's, uh, nuffin'." Zoey hesitantly leaned forward closer to him, placing her knees on either side of his waist. She took his shadowed face into her hands. "... Ellis?"

He dropped his hands to allow his fingers to barely touch her thighs, unbelieving of this circumstance. Her green eyes were searching for answers within his blue. He didn't know if it was just the alcohol or just...

"... Zoey. I-I like you." His southern twang pitched out at her. But, of course, she knew all along about his feelings for her. She didn't really see herself getting into this position with him, though. The company was nice and he made her feel young again. Like, before all of this was happening. Before she was forced to grow up too quickly. She was just a college student who wasn't allowed to be a college student. Unsure of the world around her. She was pushed into something she was not mentally prepared for. Something that never came across her mind that would actually happen. She'd seen all the movies and thought of the possibilities but it just didn't add up that her life would become one of those movies.

She leaned her face close to his and kissed the corner of his lips. "I know." She kissed his cheek. "I've always known." She kissed the bridge of his nose. "And... I'm okay with it." She brought her lips to linger over his, smelling their combined scents of alcohol and cooled sweat. A breath of air was let loose between the gap and Ellis gasped. He dropped his beer bottle outside of the car and wrapped his arm around her bringing her down to lay on top of him. With his other hand he ran it through her hair and whispered quickly against her lips, "Oh, Zoey," before smashing them into a heated kiss.


End file.
